Hollywood gets creative with posters

A book might be judged by its cover, but can the same be true about cinema? A trailer perhaps, but is a movie judged by its poster? One thing's for sure, movie posters are a collector's dream.

Many a times, Hollywood films have tried to make the most of the space on the canvas available.

For instance, the poster of the upcoming film, Fading Gigolo - featuring Woody Allen in a role after almost a decade - exposes little but poses quite a lot of questions. hitlist picks out similar, intriguing movie posters that are, indeed, exceptional for they boldly capture all things implicit and explicit in the film.

Unfaithful (2002)Director: Adrian LyneLowdown: Richard Gere appears apprehensive as the cuckoled husband while Diane Lane seems totally lost in lust. The most interesting part, however, is the presence of Oliver Martinez's torso in the frame, sans the face.

Dreamers (2003)Director: Bernardo BertolucciLowdown: It looks like a melancholic ménage a trios - but it isn't. Outside that room, a revolution is brewing and each of them will eventually be a part of it.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)Director: Tom TykwerLowdown: The rose petals signify the sweet fragrance the gifted protagonist in this film seeks. The catch is that he shall require the body of a woman, not flowers.

Eastern Promises (2007)Director: David CronenbergLowdown: The various tattoos on Viggo Mortensen's body signify his stint with crime. Standing tall and naked in front of the audience, he's amazingly unaware of the price he's going to pay forhis tattoos.

The Reader (2008)Director: Stephen DaldryLowdown: Set in the time after World War II, this a story of love and lust that not everybody would understand. In the film, the male protagonist grows up be Ralph Fiennes. In this poster, both Fiennes and Winslet stare ahead, perhaps into their past.

Antichrist (2009)Director: Lars von TrierLowdown: At first look, the carnal nature of this much-hyped film is obvious, but the flailing hands emerging out of the ground led a different feel to the film's amorous air.

Love & Other Drugs (2010)Director: Edward ZwickLowdown: An interesting anecdote behind this wonderful canvas - it was a random click involving Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway which ended up as the official poster. Jake was 'checking' his breath while Anne clutched his arm.

Rabbit Hole (2010)Director: John Cameron MitchellLowdown: Different panels depict the gradual change in emotions. Having lost their child, Nicole Kidman's and Aaron Eckhart's expressions on the extreme end of the setup expose the real picture of a bereaved parents.

The Skin I Live In (2011)Director: Pedro AlmodóvarLowdown: Antonio Banderas plays a surgical genius while Elena Anaya transforms from being his guinea pig to a muse. In this peculiar poster, both look right at you: the ultimate mirror.

The Tree of Life (2011)Director: Terrence MalickLowdown: If life began in water, then the tree of life can't be far away. For a change, there are no branches here, only floating roots. Centralising on humans and womb, the poster showcase some faceless kids playing carelessly in the water.

Shame (2011)Director: Steve McQueenLowdown: The canvas captures the very essence of the deviant character essayed by Michael Fassbender. The lost expression, his left hand wandering... you get the picture.

Upstream Color (2013)Director: Shane CarruthLowdown: A couple engrossed in a tender embrace might look like a love story, but when you consider the bathtub around them, you get an idea or two about something wrong.

Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013)Director: Abdellatif KechicheLowdown: Although the only thing that connects the poster with its title is the flashy hair dye Léa Seydoux sports, the dark shadows depict intensity.

Under the Skin (2013)Director: Jonathan GlazerLowdown: Scarlett Johansson essays an alien feigning to be a pretty dangerous lass in this sci-fi. What looks like a bra is actually a moonlit lane — in other words, her nocturnal hunting ground.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)Director: Martin ScorseseLowdown: Although Leonardo DiCaprio wears a Zen-like-yet-so-Wall-Street smug expression on the forefront, one can guess that an orgy is about to take place in the background. The true wild side of a debauched existence.